Dispenser for interfolded paper



Aug. 26, 1941. w. H. wEsT ETAL I 2,253,742

DISPENSER FOR INTERFOLDED PAPER Filed May 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTORJ'.

t ATTORNEYS.

W. H. WEST ET AL DISPENSER FOR INTERFOLDED. PAPER Aug; 26, 1941.

Filed May 8, 194Q 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNlfgyroRs. I 9% w, w 1:). 7mm

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 26, 1941 DISPENSER FOR INTERFOLDED PAPER Wilfred H. Westand Lynn W. Moore, San Francisco, Calif., assignors to Crown ZellerbachCorporation San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of CaliforniaApplication May 8, 1940, Serial No. 333,953

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a dispenser for interfolded paper, such aspaper napkins and the like, and especially to a dispenser which isadapted to be placed on a table, counter, etc., and which is providedwith a dispensing opening in the top or cover to permit the paper ornapkins to be dispensed from the upper portion thereof rather than fromthe sides or front, as is usually the case. The object of the presentinvention is generally to improve and simplify the construction andoperation of dispensers of the character described; to provide adispenser which is adapted to be quickly and readily filled or loadedwith a stack or package of interfolded paper napkins or the like, and inwhich the mechanism employed is so arranged that a maximum of space forthe reception and retention of the interfolded paper is provided; toprovide a dispenser having a dispensing opening in the top thereof whichis accessible from any direction, and from which the interfolded papersheets may bereadily dispensed one by one; to provide a structure whichcompletely covers and encloses the interfolded sheets of paper, toensure the utmost in cleanliness and sanitation; to provide a dispenserin which the interfolded sheets of paper are disposed in vertical stackformation, and in which a spring-actuated follower plate gradually liftsor feeds the stack in an upward direction until the last interfoldedsheet is dispensed; to provide means for maintaining a predeterminedspacing between the top or upper end of the stack and the dispensingopening, so as to permit dispensing or withdrawal of the interfoldedsheets one by one with as little frictional resistance as possible; toprovide deflecting means to guide the interfolded sheets to and out ofthe dispensing opening while they are being withdrawn, and especially toguide and direct the dispensing end of each interfolded sheet into andthrough said dispensing opening while the interfolded sheet ahead isbeing withdrawn; and further, to provide deflecting means adjacent thedispensing opening which will prevent reinsertion of the projecting endof a napkin, accidentally or otherwise.

The dispenser is shown by way of illustration in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Fig. 1 is an enlarged central vertical longitudinalsection of the upper end of the dispenser;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the dispenser,drawn on a smaller scale than Fig. 1;

7 Fi 3 is a vertical cross section taken on line III-411 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the guiding and deflecting platesdisposed adjacent the dispensing opening formed in the cover;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the dispenser;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 2; and

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic View showing the manner in which the papernapkins are interfolded.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and5, A indicates a container having a bottom portion 2 and a cover 3.Mounted within the container is a follower plate 5, actuated by a springG, and adapted to be supported by the follower plate is a stack ofinterfolded paper napkins or like material, indicated at l. The type ofinterfold employed is known as a Z-fold, and is diagrammaticallyillustrated in Fig. '7. The important feature, whether one type of foldor another is employed, is to provide a fold which will cause partialprojection or withdrawal of the sheet below when the sheet above iswithdrawn, so that continuous dispensing of the interiolded sheets oneby one may be insured, until the last sheet is removed.

Where dispensing of the sheets takes place through the top, or the slot8 formed in the cover of the container as shown in this structure, meansmust be provided for limiting upward movement of the stack, or in otherWords, a predetermined spacing should be maintained between !the top ofthe stack and the dispensing opening, to ensure the best results. Toaccomplish this, a shoulder 9 is formed at each end of the container, atthe upper end thereof. The shoulders extend crosswise of the container,and as such engage opposite ends of the stack and thereby limit upwardmovement of the same.

The dispensing opening 3 also extends crosswisegoi' the container, andis parallel to the shoulders 99. A plate generally indicated at It issecured to the inner face of the cover, and serves to engage the top ofthe stack to assist the shoulders 9-4 to maintain a predeterminedspacing between the top of the stack and the dispensing opening. Formedintegral with the plate ii! is a second plate ifia which functions,together with the first plate, as a deflector. This latter function isimportant. By referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the uppermostsheet H in the stack is being withdrawn through the dispensing opening8. As the end of this sheet is approaching the dispensing opening, theforemost or dispensing end iii of the next sheet will be raised andpulled with the end of the uppermost sheet through the opening, toassume finally the position shown at lEa in Fig, 1. The pull on theforemost end l2 of the second sheet is purely frictional, and there is atendency for the end to curl as shown in dotted lines at l2b, but byproviding the plate Ida with a curved deflecting portion Nib, and byterminating the curved portion of said plate in the dispensing opening,the end l2 of the second sheet, even though it tends to curl, will bedeflected and guided outwardly through the opening.

The plate Ida, or rather the curved portion liib thereof, serves a thirdfunction, to wit, that of preventing the projecting end IZa of a napkinfrom being pushed downwardly through the slot 3; that is, where adispenser of this character is placed on a table or counter, there aretypes of individuals who are mischievously inclined, and other types whohave to finger or play with objects disposed within their reach. Suchpersons will often attempt to push the projecting end i2a of the napkindown into the slot 8, and if the deflecting portion 9b were not providedthe free end of the section 12a would engage the under side of the coverand would be deflected in under the same, necessitating the removal ofthe cover to replace and project the end We through the slot. Thisdepression and displacement of the end 12a of a napkin is furtherprevented as down-turned flanges 15 are formed on the cover or oppositesides of the slot 8, which receive and support a neck 16 formed betweenthe plates I0 and Ida; i. e., during the manufacturing operation theplates are formed by die operation from a single sheet of metal in theform shown in Fig. 3, with the neck portion l6 connecting them. Thisneck is inserted between the flanges 15, as shown in Fig. 1, and theresecured by spot welding or the like, and so are the plates, as theseterminate in flanges ll and I8 which are spot welded to the under sideof the cover.

In actual practice the upper end of the stack is held in engagement withthe lower faces of the shoulders 99 by the pressure exerted by thespring 6. This produces some friction against withdrawal of theinterfolded sheets, but the friction is in this instance considerablyreduced by extending the plate IE] downwardly a sufficient distance toengage the top of the stack, at the point indicated at illc. In otherwords, by extending the plate to engage the top of the stack, thepressure exerted by the spring is equalized or distributed over a largerarea, and the frictional resistance at any one point is accordinglyreduced. In Figs. 3 and 4 the lower face of the plate is shown at M ascorrugated. This tends further to equalize and reduce friction. Inaddition thereto, guide tracks in the form of ribs 25 are formed at eachend of the container to engage the opposite ends of the stack, thusfurther reducing friction. The intermediate ribs 23 are for ornamentalpurposes only.

In Fig. 1, the shoulders 99 are shown as secured to or formed integrallywith the container. It should also be noted that the length of the stackis greater than the spacing between the inner ends of the shoulders9--9. Thus when a stack is being inserted it must be bent or bowed inthe middle to permit the ends 20-26 of the stack to pass by theshoulders, and while this bending of the stack causes no difficulty orinconvenience, it is obvious that the obstruction presented by theshoulders 9-9 becomes iess if both are provided with upper inclinedfaces 9a.

After a stack is introduced, the cover is held over the top of thecontainer, and the free end of the uppermost sheet is directed throughthe discharge or dispensing opening 8 before the cover is fully closed;the end will thus assume the position shown at Na in Fig. 1 when thecover is finally closed, and as such is ready to be dispensed.

While any suitable cover fastening may be tim ployed, spring arms 21secured at their lower ends to the inner surface of the container arehere illustrated. Their upper ends terminate in latches 22 which projectthrough slots in the cover, and these latches are released by thedepression of button-like members formed on each arm, which projectthrough openings in the container.

The dispenser as a whole is exceedingly simple both in construction andoperation. It consists of the container A, having the cover 3 securedthereto by latches; the only other mechanism employed is the followerplate with its actuating spring, the shoulders 9-9, and the deflectorsl0 and Ma. These structural features, together with their arrangement,provide a maximum of space for the interfolded sheets, and the capacityof the dispenser is thus maintained at a maximum. The mechanism is ofsuch characacter that there is nothing to wear or get out of order. Thecontainer proper completely encloses the stack of interfolded sheets,and as such excludes dust and dirt and ensures the utmost sanitation. Byplacing the dispensing opening 8 in the top of the cover, the projectingend ll of each sheet to be dispensed is in a position where it can bereached conveniently from practically any direction. This is not only agreat convenience, but it is important as it permits the dispenser to beplaced in almost any desired position on a table or counter.

W'hile certain features of our invention have been more or lessspecifically described and illustrated, we nevertheless wish itunderstood that changes may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims, and that the materials and finish of the several partsemployed may be such as the maker desires or varying conditionsv of usedictate.

Having thus described and illustrated our invention, what we claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispenser of the character described comprising a verticallydisposed container, a cover for the upper end thereof, said cover havinga dispensing opening formed therein and extending crosswise thereof, aspring-actuated follower plate in the container adapted to support avertically disposed stack of interfolded paper sheets, with one end ofthe uppermost sheet projecting through the dispensing opening, a platesecured to the under side of the cover at one side of the dispensingopening, said plate engaging the upper end of the stack and maintaininga predetermined spacing between the stack and the dispensing opening,and a second plate secured to the under side of the cover, the ends ofsaid plates adjacent the dispensing opening being rounded to formdeflecting surfaces,

and the last named plate being elevated with relation to the first namedplate to provide additional space for the free removal and deflection ofthe dispensing end of a second sheet when a first sheet is beingremoved, H

2. A dispenser for interiolded sheets comprising a container having acover provided with a dispensing opening, said container adapted toreceive a stack of interfolded paper sheets, with one end of theuppermost sheet to project through the dispensing opening, aspring-actuated follower plate adapted to support said stack, and a pairof shoulder members on opposite sides of the container and adjacent tothe cover end of the container, which shoulder members are adapted to beengaged by the opposite edges of the stack, said shoulder members eachhaving an inclined surface telescoping with the cover and operative tofacilitate the insertion of a stack of paper when the cover is removedand the container is to be refilled.

3. A dispenser for interleaved sheets comprising a container, aremovable cover for one end thereof, said cover having a dispensingopening formed therein and extending crosswise thereof, aspring-actuated follower plate in the container adapted to support avertical stack of interfolded paper sheets, a pair of shoulder membersadjacent to the cover end of the container and parallel to thedispensing opening, said shoulder members adapted to be engaged by theupper end of the stack, an inclined surface in continuation of eachshoulder member to facilitate insertion of a stack when the container isto be refilled, a plate carried by the cover disposed on one side of thedispensing opening and adapted to be engaged by the upper end of astack, a second plate carried by the cover disposed on the other side ofthe dispensing opening, said two plates functioning toguide thedispensing end of a second sheet of paper out through the dispensingopening when a first sheet is being pulled out of the opening, andcorrugations formed in the face of the first named plate to reduce thefrictional area of contact with a contained stack.

4. A dispenser for interfolded paper sheets comprising in combination anenclosed container, one end of which is provided with a transversecentrally disposed Withdrawal opening, a springpressed follower tosupport a stack of sheets to be dispensed, the container having opposed,shallow ledges or shoulders adjacent to the slotted end of the containerto support the opposed side edges of such a stack, a guide plate withinthe container on one side of the slot and projecting a substantialdistance into the container and presenting an extended supportingsurface to the contained stack and acting to maintain a predeterminedspacing between the contained stack and the dispensing stack, and asecond and com plementary guide plate on the opposite side of the slotbut projecting a lesser distance into the container than the first namedguide plate to provide a space for deflection and free projection of asheet to be dispensed.

WILFRED H. WEST.

LYNN W. MOORE.

